Fire escape



B, GILOWITZ FIRE ESCAPE Filed May 5, 1926 :Elizal 5 Sheets-Sheet l lll i /l In Jan, 25,1927.

B. GILOWITZ FIRE ESCAPE Filed May 5*, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 25 1927.

B. GILOWITZ FIRE ESCAPE Filed May 5, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Vw amato Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

UNlTEfD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:BENJAMIN GILOWITZ, 0F lBRONX, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ABRAHAM FISHBAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Application filed May 3, 1926.

The invention relates to ire escapes of* trolled `braking means for controlling thel descent of the'loaded carriage.

Another aim is to provide the carriage with a fence which prevents the occupants from falling therefrom, and to provide said fence with an outlet gate, said gate when swung downwardly, lforming a ladder down which the occupants of the carriage may readily walk to the ground.

lVith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the manner in which two Icarriages may be mounted at the outer side of a building and connected with opposite ends of a cable passed over pulleys, so that said carriages substantially counterbal'ance each other and when one descends, the other will ascend.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional viewon line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a vertical section on line 4-4 ot Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a. vertical sectional view in a plane at right angles to Fig. 4l, as indicated. by line 5-5 oi Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section partly in elevation, as indicated by line 6-6 'of Fig. 5. l 4

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the hand-controlled braking devices.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on 'line 8--8 of Fig. 7 l

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the piane ci". line -9--9 of Fig. 8.

Serial No. 106,450.

Two carriages C are shown mounted at thel exterior of a building B and connected `withopposite ends of a cable c which is trained over suitable pulleys P. Each carriage thus substantially counterbalances the other and when one carriage descends, the other ascends.. The carriages are so mounted with respect to door or window openings O of the building B that the occupants of the building may readily enter said carriages through these openings. Each carriage is constructed and mounted and provided with control.- ling means, in a novel manner, and al description in connectionfwith one ot' these carriages will suiiice, as the construction oi' both of them isidentical.

The carriage C is provided with a floor or platform 10 having a central opening 11 near its rear edge and two openings l2 disposed one at each side vof said central opening, slots 11 and 12 being provided from these three openings through said rear edge of the platform, for a purpose to appear. A central, vertically disposed rail 13 and two additional rails lt parallel therewith, pass through the openings` 11 and 12 respectively, and are secured by appropriate brackets 16 and 16 to the building` B, these brackets being receivable in the slots 11 and 12" as the carriage ascends or descends.

Rising from the front and the two side edges of the platform'lO, is a fence or railing 17, and an arch 18 has its legs secured to the sides of this fence, said arch being connected to the cable c. At a suitable location.y preferably in the front, the fence 17 is provided with -a gatelf) hinged upon a horizontal hinge 2O at its lower end, so that it may swing downwardly to the dotted line position of Fig. 5, and when swung to this position, horizontal members 21 of the gate, form steps down which the occupants of the carriage may walk to the ground. A suitable latch 22 is of course provided to normally hold the gate 19 in closed position.

A foot lever 23 is fulcrumed on brackets 24 rising from the platform 10, said lever `being disposed in front of the track 13 and .extending in a direction from front to rear thereof. The inner endet this lever is previded with a catch arm 25 engageable with any one of a plurality of shoulders 26 on the track 13, so as to temporarily lock the carriage C at any floor of the building. A coiled spring 27, under the front end of the lever 23, is relied upon to normally swing said lever to catch-engaging position, but when this lever is depressed at its outer end by all or part of th-e weight of a person 1n the carriage, the catch arm 25 is released. Simultaneously with this release, brake shoes 23 are forced into contact with the track 13, these shoes being carried by a rearwardly declined arm 29 which is secured to the lever 23` said arm having fingers 3() which straddle the track 13 to hold them in proper relation. A bolt or the like 31 preferably passes through the spring 27 and the platform and is connected to the lever 23, the lower end of this bolt or the like being provided with a chain or other releasing device 32 so that if the carriage is held by the catch arm at one floor and it is needed at the next floor below, the releasing device 32 may be pulled and the carriage allowed to descend.

Surrounding the two rails 14, are con tractible brakes 33 having forwardly projecting operating levers 34 disposed at opposite sides of the foot lever 23, so that one person may actuate the levers 34 with his hands and the combined catch-releasing and brake-applying` lever 23 with one or both feet.

The details of brake structure are shown most clearly in Figs. 6 to 9. A one-piece channel-shaped, friction shoe 35 is provided to engage the front side of the track 14, and slidably connected with the rearwardly projecting flange portions 36 of this shoe, are two rear shoes 37 which are right angu lar in horizontal section and are spaced apart to straddlo the brackets 16', these shoes being adapted to frictionally engage (he rear side of the rail .14. To slidably con ncct the front and rear shoes, the latter are preferably provided with forwardly projecting studs 33 slidably received in sockets 3S) in the shoe 25, and to normally separate the shoes so that vthey will not drag upon the rail 14, coiled springs 40 are provided around the pins 33. Side plates 39 secured to the shoes 37 and slidably connected with shoe 35 may also be use-d if desired.

Suitable` horizontal bars or arms 41 are secured to the rear shoes 37 and project forwardly therefrom slightly beyond the front shoe 35, the front ends of these arms being bent inwardly in Contact with the front side of said shoe 35, being then extended forwardly, and connected by a transverse fulcrnm 42 upon which the lever 34 is mounted. This lever is provided with a cam 43 which, when the lever is downwardly pulled, effects rearward sliding of the front `shoe 35 and forward sliding of the rear shoes 37, so that they are all brought into binding frictional contact with the rail 14. The front shoe is slidably connected at 35 with the arms 41 and is secured to the upper end of a standard 45, the lower end of this standard being secured to the platform 10.

By providing` the novel construction shown and described, or a substantial equivalent thereof, a fire escape is provided which is rather simple, yet will be safe and eliicient, and as excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, they are preferably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

I claim 1. A fire escape comprising three vertical rails disposed in spaced parallel relation at the exterior of a building, a carriage having slidable connection with said rails, means engageable with the central rail and having connection with the carriage for locking the latter at any desired floor of the building, a centrally disposed releasing pedal for said means, said pedal being positioned in front of said central rail, a pair of brakes connected with the carriage and slidably engaged with the other two rails, and hand levers for operating said brakes, said hand levers projecting forwardly from said brakes, permitting one person to control said levers with his hands while controlling said pedal with one or both of his feet.

2. ln a tire escape, a vertical rail, a carriage slidably engaged therewith, brake means above the bot-tom of the carriage and connected with the latter, said brake means comprising a shoe engageable with said rail, spring means for normally holding said shoe away from said rail, a hand lever projecting forwardly from the shoe and having a cam to engage it, whereby the shoe is grippingly engaged with the rail on the actuation of the lever. i

3. ln a lire escape, a vertical rail, a carriage slidably engaged therewith, brake means above the bottom of the carriage and connected with the latter, said brake means lll comprising a front and a plurality of rear shoes engageable with said rail, spring means for normally separating said front shoe from said rear shoes, a hand lever projecting forwardly from the front shoe and lniving` a cam to engage the latter, and connecting means between the lever fulcrinn and the rear slices to effect forward movement of the latter when rearward movement of the front shoe is effected by said lever.

4. In a fire escape, a vertical rail, a carriage slidable along' said rail, a front channel-shaped brake shoe above the bottom of the carriage and engaging the front side of said rail, a connection between said front shoe andthe carriage, a pair of angular rear shoes engaging the rear 'Side of the rail, means slflably connecting the 'front and rear shoes, spring means associated with said connecting means for normally separating said front and rear shoes, arms secured to the rear shoes and projecting forwardly beyond the front shoe7 a fulorum Connecting the front ends of said arms, and an operating lever mounted on said fulernm and having' a cam engaging said front slloe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto alxecl my signature.

BENJAMIN GILOWITZ. 

